In one of the deadliest stadium tragedies in history, a stampede at an Indonesian football game claimed at least 174 lives.
It took place after supporters entered the pitch late on Saturday and were sprayed by police.
After the local team Arema FC fell 2-3 to their fierce rivals Persebaya Surabaya in East Java, 180 people were harmed in the ensuing stampede.
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The stadium’s 38,000 capacity was exceeded by 4,000 fans, according to the nation’s top security official.
The premier league in Indonesia must suspend all games until an inquiry is complete, per an order from President Joko Widodo.
According to Nico Afinta, the East Java police chief, authorities shot tear gas into the crowd, causing a stampede and some incidents of asphyxia.
“It had become chaotic. They began assaulting police officers, causing damage to automobiles, “Two police officers were among the dead, he added.
“We want to make it clear that not all of them practiced anarchism. Fewer than 3,000 people entered the pitch, “said he.
Running fans “went to a specific location at the exit. Then there was a buildup, and when that happened, there was oxygen deprivation and shortness of breath “he continued.
Social media videos depict supporters scaling barriers to get away. Videos from many sources seem to depict motionless victims on the ground.
According to Fifa, who oversees football worldwide, neither stewards nor police officers at games should possess nor employ “crowd control gas.”
The act, according to the Indonesian football organization (PSSI), has “tarnished the face of Indonesian football,” and an investigation has been opened.
In Indonesia, there has always been violence at football games between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.
Due to concerns about altercations, Persebaya Surabaya supporters were not permitted to purchase tickets for the game.
The match at the Kanjuruhan stadium had, however, 42,000 tickets sold, according to a post on Instagram by Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD.
After directing that all Liga 1 matches be suspended while an investigation is conducted, President Widodo urged that this be the “final soccer tragedy in the nation.”
At a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifying match in Lima in 1964, a stampede resulted in 320 fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries.
During the European Cup final between Liverpool (England) and Juventus in 1985, supporters were pushed against a wall that later collapsed, resulting in 39 fatalities and 600 injuries at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium (Italy).
At the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, a crush occurred during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest that resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters.